On a wilderness trail trampled by pedestrians, Qin Xiao walked in front with a package on his back. He was always paying attention to the movements nearby and was in good spirits. However, She Yue, who was following a few steps behind, looked exhausted and held a bag in his hand.
A wooden stick is much slower than an ordinary person.
After separating from Gu Baiyi and his group last night, the two of them walked all the way to the southwest. They couldn't take the official road, so they had to take the remote path.
It's just that not all places have roads. Sometimes crossing rivers and going through forests takes more energy than rushing on the spacious official roads. Now being able to walk on this wilderness path is considered a good road.
Qin Xiao has a fourth-level cultivation. Although he doesn't look strong, his physique is very strong. Moreover, he suffered a lot in Xiling back then. This journey is really nothing to him.
But for She Yue, it's not that simple.
She was born in the palace and grew up in the palace. She was well-dressed and pampered. Even if she occasionally left the capital for a trip, someone would prepare everything properly without any effort on her part.
Even if he had to escape from Suzhou City in a hurry, he would still be riding a horse on the official road and it would not require much effort.
However, after being separated from Gu Baiyi and others, Qin Xiao always took her to remote places, sometimes stumbling between weeds and vines, sometimes wading across rivers. When had this Princess of the Tang Dynasty ever experienced such hardship?
, at the end of the day, I was exhausted, and my whole body felt like it was falling apart.
In fact, not to mention the wealthy princess, even ordinary folk women may not be able to support such a journey.
That's all.
For Musk Moon, the most painful thing is when walking through the wilderness at night, there are so many insects and ants, and insects and ants fall on her from time to time. This is undoubtedly a kind of torture for Her Royal Highness, who has a history of mysophobia.
She really didn't know if she could really insist on walking to Hangzhou.
It's already dusk, with green mountains and green waters. I hope I can see the green pines standing proudly on the hillside, and the wild flowers blooming on the roadside are simple and tough. It's a scene that I can't see in Kyoto.
Qin Xiao knew that She Yue was pampered and such a journey was by no means easy for her. She looked back at She Yue from time to time and deliberately slowed down, waiting for She Yue to catch up.
Seeing that She Yue's legs seemed to be unable to move forward, and that her smooth forehead was even covered with sweat, she knew that Her Royal Highness's physical exertion had reached a limit.
Qin Xiao looked around and saw a creek on the roadside, and finally said: "Your Highness, let's take a rest before leaving."
At this time, She Yue's legs felt like lead. After walking that day, her whole body was dripping with sweat. It soaked into the coarse cloth and had a faint sour smell.
"Are you tired?" She Yue's pretty face was calm.
Although she is on the run, Her Royal Highness still hopes to maintain the nobility of the Princess of the Tang Dynasty, although at this moment, it seems that the noble appearance of Her Royal Highness has long been gone, and all that remains is the desolation of fleeing famine.
Qin Xiao thought to himself: Why should I stop and rest? You have no idea?
But knowing that the princess wanted to save face and didn't want to show weakness in front of a courtier, she could only say: "Yes, I have been walking for a day and I am really tired. Please allow me to rest for a while." Pointing to the stream on the side, he said: "It happens to be here.
There is a stream where the princess can wash her face."
The princess nodded slightly, seemingly calm, but she breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. She walked to the stream and saw the clear water, and was filled with joy.
When she was in the palace, the surroundings were naturally extremely clean. Even so, the palace people would still wipe and wipe the surrounding objects every day, even if it was just an ordinary incense burner, they would have to be polished to shine.
Her Highness the Princess takes a bath every morning and evening, and there are also flower petals specially used for bathing. This has become a habit just like eating and sleeping. Even on the way to Suzhou, she was unstoppable on the ship.
However, after arriving in Suzhou City, it had been three days since she had taken a shower. This was simply unbearable for She Yue.
Looking back at Qin Xiao, she saw that his back was facing her. She Yue thought to herself that this boy knew the rules. She saw a stone by the stream, walked over, and washed her face with the stream water. She was very thirsty at this time.
, the stream is so clear, I really want to take a few sips, but the pampered princess will not easily use this stream in the wilderness.
I wiped my face with stream water and felt refreshed. I simply sat on the stone and took off my cloth shoes and socks.
These shoes and socks were very uncomfortable to wear on her feet. After taking off the socks, a pair of exquisite and small feet were exposed. She looked back and saw Qin Xiao still standing there with his back to her. She felt relieved and held her up.
I looked at a snow-white foot and saw that the sole of the foot was red and even had a few blisters.
She Yue bit her lip. She had never experienced such pain since she was born.
She Yue's jade feet were soft, exquisite and unique in shape, and her toenails were even painted with phoenix juice. Her Royal Highness, who had always taken good care of herself, saw her jade feet looking like this. She felt aggrieved and looked up at the sky. The afterglow of the setting sun was shining on the sky.
On the ground, the wilderness is lush and green, as beautiful as milk.
She Yue sat on the stone and soaked her feet in the water. At this moment, she found that the stream in the wild was more comfortable than the petals, rain and dew in the palace.
She closed her eyes and enjoyed it for a long time. For a moment, she even thought that sitting here all the time seemed to be the best thing in life.
"There are sesame cakes here. The princess hasn't eaten anything all day." Qin Xiao's voice came from behind: "It takes physical strength to travel. If you don't have physical strength, you won't be able to last long. After the princess has washed, she should eat something first."
The princess said "Yes", and after a moment, she reluctantly put on her shoes and socks, then moved her plump and round buttocks away from the stone, stood up, and asked Qin Xiao: "Do you want to wash it off?"
"No need." Qin Xiao turned around at this time and said with a smile: "It used to be normal for me not to take a shower for ten days and a half." But suddenly he thought of his junior aunt, the beautiful Jiangu beauty with a hot figure and unusual beauty.
I don’t have a good habit of taking a bath.
She Yue was startled, thinking that not taking a shower for one day would be uncomfortable enough, but if she didn't take a shower for ten and a half months, wouldn't it mean that she would stink to death?
The stream was so clear that if it weren't for Qin Xiao's presence, She Yue would have even had the urge to take off her clothes and wash herself in the stream.
"Princess, eat a sesame seed cake." Qin Xiao had already opened the package, took out a sesame seed cake and handed it over. After She Yue took it, she felt that the sesame seed cake was hard and looked very ugly. There were even signs on it because of the excessive fire.
Baked black spots, frowned, and was about to ask, but saw that Qin Xiao had already taken a batch of sesame seed cakes in his hand. Without saying anything, he opened his mouth and took a big bite, chewing it with gusto, and seemed to have eaten it.
good smell.
She Yue had eaten some snacks at the Governor's Mansion, but after escaping from Suzhou City yesterday, she had not yet had enough water and rice. In addition, after walking such a long way, she was really lacking in physical strength and hungry. When she saw Qin
Xiao Xiao was enjoying the food, thinking that this sesame seed cake looked ugly, but it should taste good. He took a bite and found that the sesame seed cake was hard, not much better than a stone. He couldn't help but frowned and bit down hard.
A small piece, but tasteless in the mouth and difficult to swallow.
Many of the pastries she made in Kyoto are not available in the private sector. Even if some of them exist in the private sector, the materials and processes used to make the same confectionery in the palace are more complicated.
The most common pastry in the palace is ten times more delicious than this hard sesame seed cake.
She couldn't help spitting out a small piece of sesame seed cake in her mouth, frowning and saying, "What is this? Why is it so unpalatable?"
Qin Xiao was startled and saw that She Yue's face looked a little ugly. He frowned and said, "Your Highness doesn't like eating it? This is sesame cake. Hasn't the princess seen it before?"
"I've heard of it, but this is the first time I've seen this kind of sesame cake." She Yue said, "There are also sesame cakes in the palace, but they are different from this one."
Qin Xiao said with a smile: "The things in the palace are naturally different from those outside. But these are indeed real sesame cakes. The appearance of the palace has changed. Although they are still called sesame cakes, they are actually no longer sesame cakes."
She Yue threw the sesame cake back, shook her head and said, "I can't get used to this sesame cake."
Qin Xiao frowned, thinking to himself, when have you been so picky? Without even trying to persuade him, he put the sesame seed cakes into the package, took the water bag and handed it over. She Yue took the water bag, opened the stopper, and looked up.
After taking the first sip, she raised her neck like a swan, and her neck was as white as jade.
Qin Xiao looked away and waited for She Yue to return the water bag. After Qin Xiao took it, he was not polite. He raised his head and took a big gulp. The sesame cake was indeed a bit hard and it was easy to drink water.
"What...what are you doing?" She Yue asked in shock.
Qin Xiao was startled and looked at She Yue with a puzzled expression. However, he saw an angry look on the princess's beautiful face. He pointed at the water bag and said, "You...why did you drink it too?"
Qin Xiao immediately realized that after the princess drank, she didn't even wipe it off herself, but took a sip into the mouth of the bag, which was indirectly like kissing She Yue.
"There is only one water bag." Qin Xiao was a little embarrassed: "I don't drink this, what should I drink?"
She Yue glared, her face looked a little ugly, and said: "Don't give me any more water."
Qin Xiao sneered inwardly, thinking to himself, are you despising me?
But if you say you don’t want it, then you don’t want it. You haven’t reached that point yet. When the dryness of the mouth becomes unbearable, let alone the water in the bag, even if it is other liquids on my body, you won’t want it anymore.
dislike.
"Can we get to Hangzhou smoothly?" She Yue asked.
Qin Xiao said: "Princess Jiren has her own destiny, so there will be no problems."
"Don't say such frivolous words." She Yue frowned and said, "I want to listen to the truth."
"If the princess doesn't eat or drink water, she won't be able to reach Hangzhou." Qin Xiao said simply this time: "To walk from Suzhou to Hangzhou, and take these remote roads, day and night, to be more optimistic, it will take five or six hours.
Every day, this is when we have sufficient physical strength and work day and night. Of course, we cannot encounter other obstacles on the way. If we are lacking in physical strength and walk slower and slower, we may not be able to reach Hangzhou in ten days and a half."
She Yue sighed: "It's not that I don't want to eat it, you sesame seed cake, I... I really can't choke on it."
"It's understandable." Qin Xiao said: "The princess is a golden person. This kind of sesame cake is just food for common people. Naturally, the princess can't adapt to it." After a pause, he said: "It's just that the princess doesn't know. For many people, if
If you can eat such biscuits every day, it is already a blessing from the Bodhisattva. Many places are short of food and even have famines. I have seen with my own eyes that such a biscuit can change a life. Once a person becomes hungry, let alone the biscuits, it is...
Weeds and dirt will all become food.”
The princess was slightly surprised: "Weeds and soil can also be eaten?"
"Your Highness, does he know what is the most terrifying thing in the world?" Qin Xiao looked at the princess's beautiful misty eyes and said slowly: "It is hunger. People who have never experienced hunger will never know hunger.
How terrifying. There was a famine in Xiling, and people died of hunger everywhere. They couldn't find weeds and tree barks to feed themselves, so they could only eat dirt to prop up their stomachs and relieve their hunger. Although everyone knew that they would die, they would rather die by eating dirt.
I don’t want to starve to death. There are also people who exchange their children for food. These are not just a few words in a book, but things that really happened in the world.”
The princess looked solemn and did not speak, just silent.